Brisbane, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast to host 2032 Olympic Games events

As Queensland firms as the “preferred candidate” to host the 2032 Olympic Games, attention is shifting to exactly where the world-class games will be held.

Queensland’s front-runner status to host the 2032 Olympics could start a battle between southeast regions eager to host major Games events.

Three levels of government have united to form the state’s bid, but with Queensland moving into “preferred candidate” status - attention is shifting to where world-class games will be held.

Council of Mayors Southeast Queensland director and Sunshine Coast Mayor Mark Jamieson acknowledged not all of the 11 southeast councils would receive hosting rights.

“The mayors to their credit, have been committed for the greater good around southeast Queensland,” he said.

“It is not possible for everybody to have events but there’s a whole range of training opportunities.

“The focus that will be on the area around the world will benefit all of the regions and the entire state.”

AOC President John Coates said the state had submitted a draft venue masterplan to the International Olympic Committee, but declared nothing was set in stone.

“There’s nothing definite on where the rowing is going to go,” he said.

He said track and field events had been earmarked for Carrara and declared the opening ceremony could be held at Suncorp Stadium.

“The IOC is not requiring us to go out and spend big money, they want us to use existing and temporary venues,” he said.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the state would begin assessing “in detail” what venues would host events.

“We’ve got to go down to the fine print and make sure we’ve got all the funding lined up between all levels of government,” she said.

Ms Palaszczuk flagged the possibility of the regions holding soccer matches to ensure “all of the state will share in an Olympic glory”.

“We want to make sure this is inclusive of Queensland and that we all have a part of history here,” she said.

OLYMPIC VENUES, ATHLETES VILLAGES REVEALED IN MASTERPLAN

The Brisbane River and the Gold Coast beach strip will play a massive part in the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games according to the masterplan that helped convince the International Olympic Committee to talk exclusively to Brisbane.

According to the bid masterplan, there will be two athletes villages - one in Brisbane and one on the Gold Coast.

The venue masterplan for Brisbane's 2032 Olympic Games bid.

The Gold Coast would use existing 2000 hotel beds but Brisbane would build a 14,000 athlete village as part of the massive redevelopment of Albion and the riverside.

Brisbane Live will be signed off sometime early this year, with the entertainment precinct featuring heavily in the program.

A number of venues and an athletes village will be located on the Gold Coast.

But there are slimmed down options listed too, like using the Gabba for ceremonies and Carrara on the Gold Coast for athletics.

The Games will also use the region’s best assets to showcase Queensland to the world with high profile sports like three by three basketball being played on the South Bank piazza and athletics and cycling at Alexandra Headland on the Sunshine Coast and beach volleyball ball on the sand on the Gold Coast.

The Sunshine Coast will host events if the 2032 Olympic Games are held in southeast Queensland.

The plan says given Brisbane the Games would open up tourism to the fast-growing middle classes of Singapore, Hong Kong and Shanghai, and get Queensland kids moving.

But it also shows up some potential gaps in Queensland’s sporting faculties, with Sydney listed as alternative venues for rowing and whitewater events.

Originally published as Brisbane, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast to host 2032 Olympic Games events